Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Hope. Love. Home. Sanctuary

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest

Personality Anecdotes

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As you may well know, this sanctuary is chock full of personalities, and the more you get to know the chimpanzees and cattle, the more you appreciate each individual’s many sides.

First, I want to say how incredibly thankful we are for the donations that have been coming in for our year-end fundraising. At this moment we are 35% towards our goal!

Each and every donation is even more meaningful to us this year, and we are so appreciative of all of your support as we work towards the day when we will be telling you all about the personalities of the new six chimpanzees who we hope will be coming from Wildlife Waystation in 2021!

On with the show—

Personality exhibit #1: Betsy

Every once in a while when we go to hang out with the cattle, we discover Betsy has mud caked on all over her face. Our best guess is she dips her head into the soft banks of the creek on purpose. She’s the only one of the four who does this. She seems quite content with the mud, so maybe she’s on to some sort of mountain mud facial.

Personality exhibit #2: Jamie

Today Jamie decided to use the “foot box” as her own personal boot box.

She stored her boots in there for about a half hour, until she was ready to move to another part of the building, boots in hand.

Personality exhibit #3: Negra

Negra is continuing to construct over-the-top, really quite outrageous blanket nests. The photo below is the last view I had of her this evening before turning the lights out.

Looking at that photo above, and learning that Negra often pouts her lips through the caging to kiss her caregivers’ hands generally elicits the impression that Negra is a very sweet chimpanzee.

I’m not going to say that she’s not sweet; she certainly can be, but her personality really is more sharp than saccharine.

As we’ve mentioned before, she has a bit of a mafia boss relationship with Missy in particular. I witnessed this aspect of their relationship yesterday.

The chimpanzees were finishing up their breakfast and I was lucky enough to walk by the front rooms just at the right moment to see Missy attempting to pass Negra while carrying several pieces of primate chow. Negra whimpered and held out her hand. Missy paused just for a second and then proceeded to put all of the chow into Negra’s outstretched hand.

Now, if you didn’t know their individual personalities and just witnessed this moment, you might understandably surmise that Missy was being nice to Negra and her hand off was a moment of altruism. But, Missy also wouldn’t generally be described as “sweet” by those who know her well. Don’t get me wrong, she and Negra have very sweet moments together:

 

Negra and Missy playing

Negra (left) and Missy (right)

but Missy is a very politically shrewd chimpanzee.

Missy likes primate chow, but she doesn’t love it. So it’s not a bad deal for her to give up something that she may consider low value as a “pay off” to keep in good standing with Queen Negra. I would probably do the same thing myself.

Just a Couple of Wishes

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What a week! Sunday was weird, Monday was better, and Tuesday and Wednesday were both busy and fun. It’s been another busy day of construction projects, produce shopping and delivery, routine cleaning and caregiving, and planning for the winter holiday season.

Speaking of which, we’d love if you all took a moment to consider purchasing something off of our holiday Wish List! Outreach Coordinator Kelsi curates the list and has added some special items. The additions include a new skateboard for Honey B, books for Jamie, fleece blankets for all the chimps, and hardware that will help us to furnish the new playrooms.

If the item you hope to donate is already purchased, there are always items such as dietary supplements, storage totes, cleaning products and office supplies that are equally important! I can’t speak for the other staff, but I get pretty stoked when people donate mundane items like wet erase markers and refills for the label printer. If you feel like making my day (or contributing to the welfare of the chimps), you can access the list directly by clicking here.

Additionally, we caregivers have two primary wishes that are not Prime items but are equally tangible: for all chimpanzees to reach their sanctuary homes and for all the sanctuary’s residents to stay happy and healthy.

Of course, this wish also applies to the bovines. As Katelyn mentioned on Monday, Meredith looked much better than the day before and her check-up went well, so we’re not too concerned but are still taking precautions.

To facilitate the health exam, we shifted the cattle into the Bud Box and then isolated Meredith in the narrow chute. Dr. Erin plays the role of “quarterback” during veterinary exams, managing the team and doing the specialized tasks that require her expertise. In this case, J.B. and I served as her assistants (and Chad also helped on a couple of occasions by promptly running some supplies up from the sanctuary’s vet clinic).

J.B. holds Meredith’s halter.
Erin listens to the activity in Meredith’s rumen.
Nutmeg sniffs the veterinary kit.

 

Frost covers the pasture and surrounding forests.
Meredith’s mother, Honey, watches attentively.

In summary, Dr. Erin did a full visual inspection, palpated and listened to Meredith’s gut, tested her reflexes and responses, collected blood and fecal samples for diagnostics, and used the opportunity to administer some preventative antibiotics. We then let Meredith back out with the herd and monitored her for further discomfort or difficulties.

Meredith peeks around the barn.

Since then, we’ve been frequently visiting the barn to check on Meredith and give her supplements. These include minerals, probiotics, electrolytes and anti-inflammatory meds. Surprisingly, though, Merry looks fantastic. She’s eating heartily, breathing normally, moving with the herd and laying down in the straw bedding at night. As happy as we are with this improvement, it makes her Sunday troubles even more mysterious. Dr. Erin and the staff are working to rule out some possibilities, but our initial diagnosis of “ain’t doin’ right” currently still stands. This whole thing loosely feels like a low-budget episode of House, M.D. where the team wears Carrhart overalls instead of lab coats.

The best part of the exam, however, was this series of opportunistic portraits that depicts Nutmeg showing affection for his mother, Betsy…

…to the point of being mildly annoying.

P.S. I took all of these photos with the new mirrorless camera and an 85mm portrait lens. A generous supporter purchased both of these items for us via the same Wish List I mentioned above. Consider it further evidence that your contributions help us to do our jobs!

 

Up Close and Personal

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I had a whole blog post in my head (How to be Cool like Jamie), but today was the rare occasion that Mave, yes Mave, decided to let take some photos of her this morning. Many of you might know that Mave often does not want her picture taken or can be hard to capture in the moment. However, this morning as I was taking a few quick photos of Willy B, Mave sat down and stared at the camera phone. I asked her if I could take a few, normally I get a finger poke towards the camera and I take that as a no. But Mave just looked into the camera and let me take some close up shots. The rest of the day had the same theme. Jamie wanted her pictures taken or tolerated the camera being around. I wasn’t able to get everyone, really it was just Honey B, Willy B, Mave, and Jamie, but the ones I got are pretty good. The chimps were all in extremely playful moods today too. It was hard to choose a blog topic because I was even able to film some great play sessions! But I will save that for another blog! For today please enjoy some up close and personal photos.

This is what Mave’s pokey fingers look like.

Willy B was checking himself out in the mirror of the camera.



Honey B giving a “sup” look.

Honey B’s eyes are so mesmerizing.

Miss Mave.

Missy did not feel like participating, so she said goodbye and swung away.

I snapped a quick one of Foxie before she stuffed a doll through the mesh to play! Foxie’s eyes could make your heart melt.

The one and only Jamie.

PPE: Projects, Play, & Enrichment

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As mentioned on Sunday, there were a couple of mechanical issues that need to be fixed. When there is an upcoming project to take place, we as caregivers try plan the day out to ensure the projects can be finished in a safe manner, while not impeding on the residents’ daily activities too much. With so much going on during days like today, it can be somewhat difficult trying to take photos and develop a blog. So when the projects were completed, I was running around trying to salvage what time I had left in the day to at least get some photos. As the minutes kept ticking away, I may have started to panic a little bit. I almost decided to give up and just post whatever crummy photos I was able to get and call it a day. Then Honey B happened.

As I was still trying to get photos, I found Honey B, who immediately wanted to groom. As she was plucking rocks from the bottom of my boots, Mave made her way up to the Mezzanine. She began hooting, started to become piloerect, and was working herself up for a display. Honey B stopped grooming and started playing with me. I can’t confirm this, but it sounded like she exaggerated her laughs so Mave could hear. As Mave continued to build up her display, Honey B finally walked over to her with a play face, grabbed her foot, and raced away laughing. Mave’s hair was soon no longer on end and she raced after Honey B, playing a game of foot grab along the way. The game then evolved into a wrestling and tickling match. Here are a few of the photos captured with faces visible within a cloud of fur and laughter.

Earlier, Mave, Honey B, and Willy B were also treated to one of their favorite food puzzles: firehose cubes. When they first caught sight of the cubes, there was a chorus of pant hoots, food grunts, games of chase, and excitement that followed.

 

 

Unfortunately, Honey B grabbed hers and headed down stairs, so I was not able to get any photos of her.

Now that the day is over, Willy B is ready for bed with his favorite cheetah print blanket!

Sunday, Crummy Sunday

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Sundays are usually quiet around here but today was unusually busy and a bit chaotic.

We experienced some of those bright moments that we expect when working around happy and healthy chimps, but we also encountered a few unexpected hang-ups that ensured this day would not go as smoothly as we initially hoped.

These days happen from time to time. Such is the life of a sanctuary caregiver.

Today’s minor obstacles included staff car troubles, sheets of ice on our vehicles and sidewalks, and mechanical issues around the building that required substantial effort to fix. I even hit snooze too many times and missed out on my usual dose of coffee. We’ll be fine (especially since I keep emergency coffee grounds in the Chimp House), but I would have been happier if everyone made it through the day without further setbacks.

To add some sour frosting to this moldy cake, Chad noticed that Meredith was acting strangely (even for a Jersey cow) and we gave her a preliminary diagnosis of A.D.R. (the common but dreaded condition of simply “ain’t doin’ right”). Of course, this condition warrants a follow-up exam by a veterinarian, so we called in Dr. Erin.

We love seeing Dr. Erin at the sanctuary, but we definitely prefer when she’s hanging with the chimps or delivering supplies for the vet clinic. Having to do an unexpected physical exam on a curiously-behaving bovine is not ideal, and it was difficult to get the suspicious cattle isolated as the sun rapidly set and plunged the pasture into darkness. We eventually secured Meredith and her companions into the winter paddock for what we hope is a quick check-up tomorrow morning. Hopefully, this is just some temporary discomfort and the cattle will be back to their usual activities soon.

With all this stuff to do, I didn’t have time to take many photos or type out any additional thoughts. Therefore, today’s blog will center around this portrait series of Burrito, the Most Charismatic Chimpanzee in the World. I happened to capture this moment as he ventured out onto the Hill this morning (before everything else unraveled).

As with most of the unusual events that transpire around here, it’s much easier to get through if you maintain a wry sense of humor and a little optimism. Of course, as with any life situation, there’s also a Simpsons bit that encapsulates my feelings perfectly.

Like Mother, Like Daughter?

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I stand by Katelyn’s post from the summer that there is no doubt that Honey B is her own unique person, quite separate from her biological history of having been born to Missy. But just as time shows us her own special uniqueness, new similarities between mom and daughter have also revealed themselves.

These two formidable and intelligent beings were tragically separated from one another at the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP), shortly after Honey B was born on June 11, 1989.

Missy was forced to continue her life of servitude as a laboratory test subject and breeder and Honey B went to the lab’s “nursery” where she was raised by humans in preparation for the same future. Unlike many other chimpanzees at LEMSIP who moved to a notorious laboratory in New Mexico called the Coulston Foundation, Honey B escaped that future when she and dozens of other young chimpanzees were moved to Wildlife Waystation in California as LEMSIP closed permanently.

Missy and Honey B were only reunited here at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest 30 years after their separation.

As Katelyn mentioned in her post, there were no signs of particular recognition or even fondness between the pair when they met face to face before we abandoned the introductions of the two groups last fall.

Though they do not share the same rooms or have close interactions with one another, they do still see each other every day.

Just today, I spied Missy in a window of the playroom spying on her daughter as Honey B snacked on some lettuce in the Chute.

To be clear, there are shared preferences, quirks, and other similarities among some of the unrelated chimpanzees (the stand-out example is both Honey B and Annie wearing stretchy headbands around their waists), so who’s to say if the similarities between Missy and Honey B are inherited or simply coincidental. If you’ve ever taken a psychology or biology class or just on your own pondered the “nature vs nurture” question, you know the answer is almost always “both”.

Yet, it’s fun to consider that some of these traits just might have an element of heredity to them.

Similarities were brought up by other staff earlier this week, so it seemed a good time to reflect on what I’ve noticed that seem to characterize both mom and daughter.

Athleticism

Kelsi’s and Chad’s posts earlier this week that included the videos below clearly showed that Honey B and Missy are both quite quick on their feet and run for sheer enjoyment. That is not really the case for the majority of the other chimps.

It’s not just running that defines their love of movement. On any given day we see both of them climbing, swinging, leaping, and balancing.

Honey B
Missy

Playing Ghost

This was again inspired by a post earlier this week, this time Anna’s. Check out Missy’s ghost play with Annie from a few years ago compared to Honey B playing with Mave this week in the two videos below:

Playing Ghost is not specific to Honey B and Missy. Notably, Jamie sometimes ghosts around too:

Even when by themselves, Honey B and Missy seem to enjoy their version of ghosting.

Honey B

 

Missy covered in sheet
Missy

A Love of Tomatoes

If Missy could have one food for every meal for the rest of her life, that food would be tomatoes. I have never known another chimpanzee to like tomatoes with the sincerity and fervor of Missy.

Honey B, however, comes a close second, though she is pickier about the quality.

Headstands

Perhaps this goes along with athleticism? I’m really not sure. Either way, both mom and offspring seem to like being inverted, both during play and sometimes when making a nest.

Missy upside down

 

Missy

The photo above of Missy comes from a blog post that I wrote over ten years ago. For some reason I remember putting it together like it was yesterday.

Honey B upside down

Socks

Missy wearing a sock while playing
Honey B wearing a tomato sock
Honey B pulling a sock on her arm
Missy with a sock on her arm

The photo of Missy above with a sock on her arm is from the first month that the seven arrived at the sanctuary. You can still see Missy’s shaved belly from the medically indicated hysterectomy she had before coming here. Our photography equipment and file saving procedures were in their infancy – that’s why I couldn’t find a larger photo.

Missy removing a sock from her arm

 

Missy’s feet in socks

To be fair, Mave and Jody are also pretty into socks:

Mave

Jody’s style is to wear the sock just over her toes

Jody

I was reminded of one other similarity today as I was shifting the chimpanzees during meals to make it safe for us to enter a space for cleaning; if you were a betting person and you had to bet on which chimpanzee in each group would hold up shifting, it would be very safe to put your money on Missy and Honey B (Willy B’s more recent bout of rebellion notwithstanding). Missy is generally the last person in her group to leave a space and the least motivated by food. Her daughter? Pretty much the same.

The Ghost of Upcoming Christmas

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When he wrote A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens forgot to mention the most important holiday ghost of all, the Ghost of Upcoming Christmas! This afternoon, Mave was visited by this joyful, sheet covered apparition. In case you were wondering, the only way to rid the sanctuary of this phantom is through tickles. Good thing we had Mave on the case.